Can opener and handle combination



1955 T. F. .NAGEY ErAL 2,699,270

CAN OPENER AND HANDLE COMBINATION INVENTO T 2% Filed Dec. 21, 1951 United States Patent 2,699,270 CAN OPENER AND HANDLE COMBINATION Tibor F. Nagey and Patricia A. Nagey,

signors to Ralph B. Koser, trustee Parma, Ohio, as- North Tarrytown, N. Y.,

This invention relates to a can opener and particularly to a combined opener and supporting handle for tin cans.

The opener and combined handle and opener are for opening, and supporting when opened, a tin can of the type which has a discharge opening in one end closed by a detachable lid which is in pressfitted relation to the can and has an external peripheral flange extending part way only from the lid to the rim of the can.

Cans of the type described are commonly used for household packages of caustics, poisons, varnishes and the like and, particularly in the case of the former, should be handled with great care. Very properly the user dislikes prying open the lid by means of the usual kitchen implement because of the danger of contamination of the implement. Since such lids usually fit very tightly and are difficult to remove with such implements, the hazard of spillage of the contents on the kitchen table and on outside surface of the can when opening the can in such a manner is pronounced. The user hesitates to grasp and hold the opened can in his hand because of the possibility that some of the contents are adhering to the outer surface. This is especially true in the case of caustics when the hands are damp.

In accordance with the present invention, a can opener is provided for opening such cans easily and without danger of spillage, and also the can opener is combined with a supporting handle, the two being attached to the can in such a manner and are so related that the handle assists in the manipulation of the opener and also, when grasped in the hand, supports the can so that, without touching the can with the hand, its contents can be poured out readily.

The opener is one adapted to engage the can pivotally between the rim of the can and flange of the lid so as to be rotatable about an axis generally parallel to, and eccentric to, the axis of the lid, the opener having a handle portion arranged for efllecting such rotation and having a cam with a sloping cam surface engaged with the underside of the rim of the lid and rotatable about the pivotal axis by the rotation of the handle. the rise of the cam surface being generally endwise of the pivot, so that, upon swinging the handle portion from starting position, the lid is loosened and lifted by the cam.

More specifically, the opener has an additional handle portion extending alongside of the can and beneath the opposite end of the can, a similar pivot being provided thereon so as to engage the opposite end of the can, whereby the handle is connected to the can for swinging about the pivotal axis and for supporting the can.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred form of can opener, and can opener and handle combination, embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, a top plan view and front elevation of a can with the can opener and handle of Fig. 1 connected thereto in idle or starting position, part of the can in Fig. 3 being broken away for clearness in illustration:

Figs. 4 and are, respectively. a top plan view and front elevation similar to Figs. 2 and 3 and showing the can opener and handle moved into the position in which the lid is open and the handle is in position for manipulating the can; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a can opener similar to Fig. 1 but having a modified form of cam.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 5, a preferred form of the opener is illustrated as also is its use with a can of the type described of which the lid has a depressed central portion which is press fitted into an opening defined by a flange turned endwise and inwardly of the can. The use of the opener with a can of which the lid is inverted from the position illustrated and fits onto a ange or short neck extending endwise and outwardly from the end of, and defining the opening into, the can being readily apparent from the illustrative example.

Referring to the can, the type illustrated is one com monly used for a household package of lye and is designated generally at 1. The can 1 has the usual upper end wall 2 and upraised rim 3 and is provided with a discharge opening 4 defined by a flange 5 which is turned endwise and inwardly of the can. A lid 6 is provided and comprises the usual sheet metal stamping having a depressed central portion 7 which fits with a press fit into the opening 4 and having a radial external flange or rim 8 which, when the lid is in closed position, overhangs the end wall 2 for a short distance outwardly from the gpening 4 and terminates in spaced relation to the rim In the illustrative example, in which the opener and supporting handle are combined, the opener, indicated at 10, comprises a cam 11 having a relatively upwardly exposed sloping operating surface 12 at one face. Connected to the cam is a relatively downwardly extending pivot 13 which preferably is relatively short and arranged so as to engage the end 2 of the can 1, preferably near the rim 3 thereof so that the cam 11 can be rotated about the pivotal axis. The cam surface 12 extends generally circumferentially relative to the axis of the pivot 13 and its rise is in a direction generally endwise of the pivot 13, as distinguished from generally radially thereof.

The pivot 13 and cam surface 12 are so spaced generally radially of the pivot 13 that when the pivot 13 engages the wall 2 near the rim 3, the lower, or leading, portion of the cam surface 12, can slightly underlie the outer extremity of the flange 8. Therefore, since the upward rise of the surface 12 is generally endwise of the axis of the pivot 13, rotation of the cam 11 about the pivotal axis forces the lid 6 upwardly out of the opening 4.

As mentioned, it is desirable to provide on the cam 11 a handle which not only facilitates rotation of the cam 11 but also acts as a supporting handle for the can 1.

Such a handle is illustrated and indicated generally at 14. Preferably it comprises a single strip of metal bent endwise into generally C-shape so as to provide an intermediate or hand grip portion 15 and end portions 16 and 17, respectively. The end portion 16 is connected to the cam 11. The end portion 17 is arranged to extend beneath the lower end of the can 1 and is provided with a pivot 18 which preferably is coaxial with the pivot 13. The pivots 13 and 18 are so related to the overall length of the handle that by springing the handle, they can be pivotally engaged, respectively, with the opposite ends of the can adjacent the rim thereof and, when the handle is released and restores itself to normal, they can grip the can therebetween at its ends under pressure. The pivots 13 and 18 may be struck out of the metal of the handle or cam, as illustrated. Thus the handle 14 and cam 11 are connected to the can for swinging about the ivots 13 and 18.

The leading lower edge of the cam surface 12 preferably is so positioned circumferentially of the pivot 13 that, when the handle portion 15 lies closely alongside the can, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the leading lower edge of the cam 11 is just ready to pass beneath, or in fact does underlie, the flange 8. The surface 12 is such that. when the handle 14 is swung outwardly to the position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the lid is lifted so as to be easily removed and there is space between the side of the can and handle portion 15 to accommodate the fingers of the hand grasping the portion 15 without contact with the can.

In certain instances it is desirable to equip the can with the opener and handle prior to distribution to the trade. In such instances, the combined opener and handle are mounted on the can as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 with the leading lower edge of the cam surface 12 beneath the flange 8. To assure that the opener remains in this position during shipment, it is usually installed in proper position before the initial installation of the lid 6. Thus the initial pressure of the lid flange on the cam tends to frictionally restrain the can fromrotation. Usually, also, the assembled can and handle are further protected and held in starting position by a convenient wrapper or by being closely confined in the bulk shipping carton.

Referring next to Fig. 6, an opener the same as that heretofore described, except for the specific cam, is illustrated. In this modification, the cam 19 has an upturned lip 20 extending generally circumferentially relative to the pivotal axis. The upper edge surface of the lip 20 is in the form of a sloping cam surface 21 which rises endwise of the pivot in a direction opposite from the pivot, and merges at its lower or leading edge with the plane of the upper face of the metal strip so as to be readily accommodated at the leading edge between the flange of the lid and top of the can when the lid is closed.

It is apparent that the opener alone, including a handle such, for example, as the portion 16, can be provided but the combination thereof with the elongated hand gripping portion 15 and the means for gripping a can at both ends so as to support the can and assist in operation of the cam has distinct advantages thereover. While the cam, handle portions and pivots preferably are formed from a single strip of metal, obviously the device can be assembled from separately made parts and may be modified in details.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a container having an opening in one end, a press fitted lid closing the opening and having a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the opening in overhanging spaced relation to said one end of the container and terminating in spaced relation to the rim of the container at said end, of a handle extending endwise of, and alongside,

the container and having end portions overhanging opposite ends of the container, re-

spectively,

pivots on said end engaging the opposite ends of on one of said end portions portions, respectively, and the container, cam means having a cam surface of which a lower portion engages the underside of the flange, and said surface extending generally circumferentially relative to the pivot at said one end portion and rising endwise of the pivot from said lower portion.

2. The combination mg 111 one end,'a press with a container having an openfitted lid closing the opening and having a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the opening in overhanging spaced relation to said one end of the container and terminating in spaced relation to the rim of the container at said end, of a handle extending endwise of, end portions respectively,

and alongside, the container and having overhanging opposite ends of the container,

pivots on the end portions, respectively, and

engaging the opposlte ends of the container, cam means one one of said end portions having a cam surface of which a lower portion engages the underside of the flange, and said surface extending generally circumferentially relative to the pivot at endwise of the pivot from said ized in that the cam surface is so said one end portion and rising lower portion, characterpositioned relative to the handle that the lower portion of the cam surface is in engagement with the flange when the handle is close to the periphery of the can and the higher portion is in engagement with the flange when the handle is swung outwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nagele Feb. 23, 1937 

